NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Federal Hall National Memorial

Our nation's first Capitol—in the heart of the Financial District

This historic site on Wall Street is where the first United States Congress met and where George Washington was inaugurated President in 1789. The current building on the site completed in 1842 and modeled after the Greek Parthenon, was built as a U.S. Customs House and is now a memorial to the nation's founding democratic ideals.

On the steps of Federal Hall, is the iconic bronze statue of George Washington, by John Quincy Adams Ward, unveiled in 1883 to commemorate the first president's inauguration.

Watch this video for a short introduction to Federal Hall by national park rangers. Get an in-depth ranger tour of the memorial on your visit.

Located across from the New York Stock Exchange, Federal Hall gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the first Congress, George Washington's New York and the history of commerce in the city, via exhibits and national park ranger programs.
On display inside is the bible used by Washington on inauguration day and a piece of the stone balcony on which he stood as he was sworn into office. Additionally, the building is the departure point for The New York Freedom Trail and This Hallowed Ground, national park ranger-led walking tours and the staffed visitor center provides information about other national parks and places to visit in New York City.

The ground where Federal Hall today stands is rich in history. During the British colonial period it was the location of the original City Hall. It was also the site of the trial of printer John Peter Zenger, whose acquittal on charges of seditious libel in 1735 was a precedent-setting case for freedom of the press. In 1765, the Stamp Act Congress met at historic Federal Hall to protest "taxation without representation."

After the storm of revolution had passed, New York City Hall was remodeled by famed architect Pierre L'Enfant, and became Federal Hall the first capitol of the new nation. It was there that the Bill of Rights and the Judiciary Act were passed. The current building served as a U.S. Customs House and then a U.S. Sub-Treasury, from 1842 to 1920, housing gold and silver in its reinforced basement vaults. It stands today as a memorial to the events which were fundamental in the formation of the nation's democratic ideals.

Things to Do

Meet George Washington and Revolutionary War heroes.

Special Events in July

Independence Day at Federal Hall

7/3 & 7/4, 10am-4pm

Enjoy historic re-enactors as they bring to life the epic American Revolution and the reading of the Declaration of Independence. This event is in conjunction with the visit of the L'Hermione, a reconstruction of the warship which brought the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1780. See the daily schedule for this two-day event.